KUALA LUMPUR: It is unrealistic to impose mandatory usage of Bahasa Melayu in official matters and meeting minutes on private companies, the Education Ministry said.
Deputy Minister Datuk Chong Sin Woon said the government had no plans to implement it as private companies often deal with foreign parties.
“We don’t impose the same standards (of Bahasa Melayu usage) to private companies, especially those that have dealings with companies from abroad.
“Therefore, it is not realistic to standardise the usage (across the board), but we do it at the government level,” he said in a parliamentary reply to a supplementary question from Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud (PAN-Kota Raja).
The public, Chong said, need to put greater effort in empowering the usage of Bahasa Melayu among Malaysians.
“(We need) not only the ministry but also non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the public to ensure a more comprehensive usage of the Malay language.
“The ministry has always strengthened Bahasa Melayu education in primary and secondary schools,” he said adding that a committee had been set up to report on the usage of the language to the cabinet.
Chong said the ministry adopted the National Blue Ocean Strategy in its efforts (to promote the language) and had required for all advertisements by local authorities to obtain approval from Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka.